Everyone knows: the key to growing
your business is having the right people in place. The discussion becomes more
difficult when you need to identify who the right people are. Are the right
people the ones who have the perfect technical skill set or are you willing to
settle for a candidate with a somewhat different skill set who will blend in
your company culture perfectly.
Finding that balance is one of the
most difficult aspects of a successful briefing with a client.
It is obvious that everyone is
looking for a strong leader with industry experience and a track record of
successful projects in line with the position at hand. But finding that perfect
match may prove to be a long process.
Most of the time, finding the right
candidate is a compromise between what you need and what is available on the
market.
Defining who that right candidate
may be, starts by looking beyond a cv.
A list of achievements and the
right technical skill set may seem essential but it is the personality and the potential
of a candidate that really makes the difference. Technical skills can be
acquired, soft skills such as communication skills, thought
processes and emotional intelligence are inherent to a person and are far more
difficult to learn.
So for every position, it is
important to determine up front what type of person you are looking for. This
depends not only on your company culture but also on the type of position. If
you are looking for an individual contributor who will need to engage people
from different departments, networking skills will be crucial. For a position
where transformation is a key challenge, you will be looking for someone with
the necessary stamina to navigate through changing times.
Determining those key personality
aspects can guide you through the selection and serve as a benchmark to compare
candidates.
It is obvious that not only personality
will determine whether a candidate is right.
Technical skills will always continue
to play a role. But an open mind and some out-of-the box thinking will allow
you to enlarge your ‘fishing pond’.
Determine what aspects of the role
can be learned through mentoring or introductory courses. Determine what previous
experience can serve as an enabler. Equally important is determining up front
the skills and knowledge that cannot be acquired quickly. If you are operating
in a niche market, industry knowledge and a solid network may be essential to
being successful in a role.
It is important to find the right
balance between personality, potential and the necessary skill set before
initiating a search. It will reduce the time required to find the right
candidate.
Once the right candidates are
identified, all you need to do is convince them that this is the right
opportunity for them…but that’s the topic of my next blog.
I look forward to hearing from you,
Isabel
Through a personalized and
tailor-made approach, Ingenium Executive Search aspires to assist you in
attracting the right talent that matches the DNA of your company
Follow me on Twitter
@IngeniumSearch
